The Stompers took on pavilion hosting duties this year — the first time in eight years the celebration of culture and diversity will have a Métis pavilion. The previous Métis​ pavilion was operated by the Indian and Metis Friendship Centre of Winnipeg.

Though he and his crew are light-footed on the dance floor, Stompers president Arnold Asham doesn't take the Folklorama opportunity lightly.

"Our mission is to help recapture and preserve the history of the Mé​tis people through the dancing of the Red River jig," Asham said Tuesday after capturing his breath following the group's high-energy dance at a Folklorama kick-off event.

Watch Asham explain why it's important to teach younger generations how to jig:

Arnold Asham, president of the Asham Stompers, didn't really learn the Red River Jig until he was 50. Now 68, he says the joy of the dance, paired with an urge to pass down the Métis tradition, will keep him stomping for years to come. 0:39

Inspired by powwow and square dancing styles, the jig originated near the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers in the 1800s, before Manitoba was officially a province. One purpose of the fiddle-driven dance back then, Asham says, was to attract fur traders to the first local Mé​​tis colony.

Nowadays, the Asham Stompers are backed by a full band. The group is made of people of all ages and performs about 100 shows a year. Asham said that level of experience comes through when the dancers start kicking in unison.

"We are very, very professional, and they're going to see a great show like [something you'd see in] Vegas," he said.